Bitch, bitch, bitch: sometimes it's all too appealing to denigrate, slag off and take the complete mickey out of the crazy unfathomable world that is food. Too many chefs trying to be too OUT THERE, too many restaurateurs openly craving profit over customer satisfaction, too many merely-adequate meals in merely-adequate dining rooms -- it's so easy to fall into the trap of negativity. But, hold hard food-loving friends, we are clambering out of that deep dark pit into the light and this time, we're having us a little celebratory round-up of the brilliant, sparkly, shiny, new trends happening in Food World.
Things to be proud of #1: The launch of Cookisto is possibly quite barmy but also possibly a quite brilliant way of bringing a community together whilst simultaneously helping the nation to eat more healthily and adventurously. Michalis Gkontas first launched his website in Athens: subscribers search to find out literally what's cooking in their area, from someone making a few extra portions of lasagne to a complete foodie banging out banh mi for 20; they arrange collection or delivery, prices aren't crazy (Cookisto takes a 15% cut) and thus food waste is cut, everyone eats well and meets new people, old people could be fed better (just saying....) and there's less microwave pinging, rather more satisfied slurping. We say Hoorah for this bloody brilliant bit of thinking that has the possibility to bring so much benefit to communities.
Things to be proud of #2: The Hand and Flowers in Marlow won The National Restaurant Awards last week. This may seem a tad 'whevs' to most of you, but take a second to think about what it means. It means really lovely, properly prepared pub grub beat all manner of overdone, overthought restaurant cooking, meaning simplicity is king and prices needn't be sphincter-wincing to eat well. Also consider other winners in the Top 10 included a crowd-funded restaurant, The Clove Club (Hoorah for community love!); the winner of Sustainable Restaurant of the Year, Grain Store (Hoorah for eco-cooking!) and a really diverse collection of restaurants showcasing even more diverse food, from a focus on foraging (L'Enclume) to innovation (Restaurant Sat Bains) to history (Dinner by Heston Blumenthal) and a handful of really good pubs and eateries. Hoorah for the restaurant industry acknowledging the wonderful range of restaurants and talents we have (take note, Michelin Guide)!
Things to be proud of #3: The debate at The Restaurant Show recently about the overrated - or not - nature of French cooking. Finally a fearless, credible debate about our history, our present and future and a show of confidence in the path we are taking in the industry. Hoorah for confidence!
Things to be proud of #4: A lot of restaurants are establishing pop-ups (if that isn't an oxymoron) recognising the current need for speed, thrift, value and exciting smaller bites that are creating a real buzz. Hoorah for moving with the times!
Things to be proud of #5: The Roux brothers are diversifying. Watch out Essex and Warwickshire, they are about to be in you with delis, restaurants and cafes, bringing fine food and good manners to the rest of the country. Hoorah for moving with the times and longevity!
There you have it. 5 small events that per se don't seem that much but show that as a country we are becoming more diverse, more adventurous, more exciting, more forward-thinking, more community-minded than ever before - through food. That's worth a Cheers!
